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Julian Sands
Photo of a man, Julian Sands, taken in 2011.
Sands in 2011
Born
Julian Richard Morley Sands

(1958-01-04)4 January 1958
Disappeared 13 January 2023 (aged 65)
San Gabriel Mountains
Mount Baldy, California, U.S.
Body discovered San Gabriel Mountains
Mount Baldy, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1982–2023
Spouse(s)
Sarah Harvey
(m. 1984; div. 1987)
Evgenia Citkowitz
(m. 1990)
Children 3
Relatives
  • Israel Citkowitz (father-in-law)
  • Lady Caroline Blackwood (mother-in-law)

Julian Richard Morley Sands (4 January 1958 – on or after 13 January 2023) was an English actor. He is best known for his breakout role as George Emerson in A Room with a View (1985). Other notable films he has appeared in include Warlock (1989), Arachnophobia (1990), Boxing Helena (1993), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), The Medallion (2003), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). On television, he portrayed Vladimir Bierko in 24 (2006), Jor-El in Smallville (2009–2010), and voiced Valmont in Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2002).

On 13 January 2023, Sands went missing while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. On 24 June 2023, his remains were discovered in the area he had been visiting.

Early life

Julian Richard Morley Sands was born in Otley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England on 4 January 1958.

Career

Sands began his film career appearing in supporting roles in films, including Oxford Blues (1984) and The Killing Fields (1984). He also had a cameo as a Greek soldier in the BBC adaptation of The Box of Delights in 1984. He was cast as the romantic lead in the 1985 film A Room with a View. Following the success of A Room with a View and Ken Russell's Gothic (1986) Sands decided to move to Hollywood and pursue a career in American films. He appeared in several of them—both lower-tier and higher-budget.

Sands played the title role in the horror film Warlock (1989) and its sequel Warlock: The Armageddon (1993), the role of Franz Liszt in Impromptu (1991), the role of Yves Cloquet in Naked Lunch (1991), and prominent roles in Arachnophobia (1990), Boxing Helena (1993) and Leaving Las Vegas (1995). He played Erik, aka the Phantom in the 1998 horror-film version of The Phantom of the Opera. He starred opposite Jackie Chan in the action-comedy film The Medallion (2003).

Julian Sands Cannes nineties
Sands at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival

In television work, he voiced Valmont in seasons 1 and 2 of Jackie Chan Adventures, before being replaced by Andrew Ableson and Greg Ellis in the remaining seasons. He played the Doci of the Ori in two episodes of Stargate SG-1—in its ninth and tenth seasons (a role he reprised in the film, Stargate: the Ark of Truth). He played a college professor in a Season One episode of The L Word. In 2002, he starred in Stephen King's Rose Red. Sands portrayed Austrian ambassador Klemens von Metternich in the 2002 miniseries Napoléon. In the 2006 season of 24, he played terrorist Vladimir Bierko.

Sands played Jor-El, Superman's biological father, on Smallville, and reprised the role in the series' final (tenth) season. In 2009, he played Reg Hunt in Bollywood Hero. In 2012, he played Alistair Wesley in the seventh episode of the second season of Person of Interest.

In August 2011, he appeared onstage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in A Celebration of Harold Pinter, directed by John Malkovich at the Pleasance Courtyard. The play transferred to the Irish Repertory Theatre, in New York. His performance in the play was nominated for "Outstanding Solo Performance" for the 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards (2013).

In 2011, Sands appeared in the mystery thriller film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, an English-language remake of the original version, as the younger Henrik Vanger. In 2012, Sands voiced the character of DeFalco in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. In 2013, Sands appeared as Miles Castner, a wealthy international businessman, during the eighth season of Dexter.

Personal life

From 1984 until 1987, Sands was married to Sarah Harvey, a British journalist and author. The couple had one son. On 22 September 1990, Sands married Evgenia Citkowitz – an American playwright, author, and journalist who is the daughter of Israel Citkowitz and Lady Caroline Blackwood – after being introduced by John Malkovich, a friend of Sands. The couple had two daughters. Sands was fiercely protective of his family and rarely spoke about his wife or children in interviews.

From 2020 until his death, Sands and his family lived in Los Angeles, California.

Death

On 13 January 2023, just over a week after his 65th birthday, Sands, a dedicated mountaineer, went missing while hiking in Mount Baldy, California, in the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. The investigation was hindered by severe storms that occurred shortly after Sands went missing. His car was located on 18 January. The following day, it was reported that Sands' three adult children had joined the ground search for their father, with his son Henry, along with an experienced climber, retracing the route his father is believed to have taken. According to reports, Sands' cell phone was last tracked from a ping on 15 January, with no further pings, suggesting it had run out of power.

Around the time of his disappearance, Sands was believed to be traversing the Baldy Bowl Trail, "which climbs 3,900 feet (1,200 m) over 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains". Reports state there was "evidence of avalanches" in the region. A representative of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (SBSD) confirmed: "The air search is being resumed, but we have not been able to resume a ground search yet due to icy conditions and a threat of avalanches." The Sands family put out a statement on the 11th day after Sands went missing, praising "the heroic search teams" and their efforts "on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home".

On 25 January, Nick Sands, one of Sands's four brothers, was quoted by the BBC as saying: "I have come to terms with the fact he's gone and for me that's how I've dealt with it." Henry Sands told The Times on 14 April that he was "of course, realistic about the impact on the search of the weather conditions over the last three months", in light of the 40-year record snowfall in California, and that he looked forward to the resumption of the search as the weather improved and that the search for his father continues.

On 19 June 2023, five months after Sands disappeared, the SBSD posted an official community Nixle advisory and update stating that more than 80 search and rescue members had descended into remote areas across Mount Baldy to search for Sands on 17 June. The advisory stated that since January, there had been eight official search missions to find Sands, exceeding 500 volunteer search hours.

On 24 June, human remains were found by hikers in the area where Sands had disappeared. His family released their first statement since his disappearance, saying, "[W]e continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer". The remains were positively identified as Sands' on 27 June 2023.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1982 Privates on Parade Sailor
1984 Oxford Blues Colin Gilchrist Fisher
Killing Fields, TheThe Killing Fields Jon Swain
1985 After Darkness Laurence Hunningford
The Doctor and the Devils Dr. Murray
A Room with a View George Emerson
1986 Gothic Percy Bysshe Shelley
Harem - the loss of innocence Forest
1987 Siesta Kit
1988 Vibes Dr. Harrison Steele
Wherever You Are... [pl] Julian Castor
1989 Warlock Warlock
Tennessee Nights Wolfgang Leighton
Manika Daniel
1990 The Sun Also Shines at Night Sergio Giuramondo
Arachnophobia Dr. James Atherton
1991 Impromptu Franz Liszt
The Wicked Gustav
Husband and Lovers Stefan
Naked Lunch Yves Cloquet
1992 Tale of a Vampire Alex
The Turn of the Screw Mr. Cooper
1993 Warlock: The Armageddon Warlock
Boxing Helena Dr. Nick Cavanaugh
1994 The Browning Version Tom Gilbert
Mario and the Magician Professor Fuhrmann
1995 Leaving Las Vegas Yuri Butso
1998 The Phantom of the Opera Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
Long Time Since Michael James
2000 Mercy Dr. Dominick Broussard
Timecode Quentin
Vatel Louis XIV
The Million Dollar Hotel Terence Scopey
2001 Hotel Tour Guide
2002 The Scoundrel's Wife Dr. Lenz
2003 The Medallion AJ "Snakehead" Staul
2004 Romasanta Manuel Blanco Romasanta
Curse of the Ring Hagen
2005 Her name is Carla Bill
Easy Six Packard Schmidt
2006 La piste Gary
The Haunted Airman Dr. Hal Burns
2007 Ocean's Thirteen Greco Montgomery
2008 Stargate: The Ark of Truth Doci
Cat City Nick Compton
Heidi 4 Paws Peter the Goatherder Voice
2009 Blood and Bone Franklin McVeigh
2010 Golf in the Kingdom Peter McNaughton
2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Young Henrik Vanger
2012 Hirokin Viceroy Griffin
Suspension of Disbelief DCI Hackett
2013 All Things to All Men Cutter
The Last Impresario Himself - Interviewee
2014 Cesar Chavez Victore Representative
Jetty Skylar Nielsen
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks Winslow Cunard
Me Sam Citkowitz
2015 Extraordinary Tales Narrator Voice
2016 The Persian Connection Evgeny
2017 Crooked House Philip Leonides
2018 Walk Like a Panther Tony 'Sweet Cheeks' Smith
2019 The Garden of Evening Mists Older Frederik Gemmell
The Painted Bird Garbos
2020 Yeh Ballet Saul Aaron
Death Rider in the House of Vampires Count Holiday
Bobbleheads: The Movie Purrbles Voice, direct-to-video
2021 Benediction Chief Medical Officer
The Survivalist Heath Grant Direct-to-video
The Ghosts of Borley Rectory Lionel Foyster
2022 The Ghosts of Monday Bruce
2023 Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes Rufus

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1982 Play for Today Groom Episode: "Soft Targets"
1983 A Married Man Guy Lough 3 episodes
1984 The Box of Delights Greek Soldier Episode: "Beware of Yesterday"
1984 The Sun Also Rises Gerald Episode #1.3
1985 Romance on the Orient Express Sandy Television film
1985 The Holy Experiment Captain Arago Television film
1986 Harem Charles Forest 2 episodes
1987 Basements Mr. Sands Segment: "The Room"
1989 Murder on the Moon Kirilenko Television film
1992 Crazy in Love Mark Constable Television film
1994 Witch Hunt Finn Macha Television film
1995 End of Summer Reverend Basil March Television film
1995 The Great Elephant Escape Clive Potter Television film
1995 Biker Mice from Mars Sir Lancelot Voice, episode: "Biker Knights of the Round Table"
1996 Adventures from the Book of Virtues Henry Voice, episode: "Responsibility"
1996 The Tomorrow Man Ken Television film
1996 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Creed Voice, episode: "Race Against Danger"
1996 Chicago Hope Bradford Whittle Episode: "Mummy Dearest"
2000–2002 Jackie Chan Adventures Valmont Voice, 26 episodes
2001 Rose Red Nick Hardaway 3 episodes
2002 Napoleon Klemens von Metternich 3 episodes
2002 Ozzy and Drix Penicillin G Voice, episode: "Strep-Finger"
2004 Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King Hagen Television film
2004 The L Word Nick Episode: "Lies, Lies, Lies"
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Barclay Pallister Episode: "Design"
2005 Stargate SG-1 Doci Episodes: "Origin, The Fourth Horseman Part 1"
2005 Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore Sir Laurence Olivier Television film
2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Philip Reinhardt Episode: "Dramma Giocoso"
2006 24 Vladimir Bierko 11 episodes
2007 Agatha Christie's Marple Thomas Royde Episode: "Towards Zero"
2007 Blood Ties Javier Mendoza 2 episodes
2007 Ghost Whisperer Ethan Clark 2 episodes
2008 Lipstick Jungle Hector Matrick 5 episodes
2009 Bollywood Hero Reg Hunt 3 episodes
2009–2010 Smallville Jor-El 2 episodes
2009 Beyond Sherwood Forest Malcolm Television film
2010 Castle Teddy Farrow Episode: "Inventing the Girl"
2011 Above Suspicion Damian Nolan 2 episodes
2011 NTSF:SD:SUV:: Doctor Episode: "I Left My Heart in Someone's Cooler"
2012 Person of Interest Alistair Wesley Episode: "Critical"
2013 Dexter Miles Castner Episode: "Dress Code"
2014 Banshee Priest 3 episodes
2014 Crossbones William Jagger 8 episodes
2014 The Village Lord Kilmartin 2 episodes
2014 Unknown Heart Richard Mellor Television film
2015 Gotham Dr. Gerald Crane 2 episodes
2015 We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story John Le Mesurier Television film
2017 Man in an Orange Shirt Caspar Nicholson Episode #1.2
2017 Will Barrett Emerson 4 episodes
2018 Medici: The Magnificent Piero di Cosimo de' Medici 2 episodes
2018 The Blacklist Sutton Ross Episode: "Sutton Ross"
2018 Elementary Jasper Wells Episode: "The Adventure of the Ersatz Sobekneferu"
2019 What/If Liam Strom 4 episodes
2019 Into the Dark Steven Episode: "A Nasty Piece of Work"

Video games

Year Title Voice role
2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops II DeFalco

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Julian Sands para niños

  • List of solved missing person cases
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